Steam emitting foldable ironing board



Sept. 23, 1947. 'r. AMATO 2,427,829

. STEAM EMITTING, FOLDABLE IRONING BOARD Filed Jan. 5. 1946 2 sheets-sheet 1 FIG. 1

I ATTORNEY THOMAS AMATO' Sept. 23, 1947. T. AMATO.

STEAM EMITTING, FOLDABLE IRONING BOARD 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed fan. 5, 1946 INVENTOR. I THOMA m A? TORNEY Patented Sept. 23, 1947 STEAM EMITTING FOLDABLE IRON ING BOARD Thomas Amato, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application January 5, 1946, Serial No. 639,212 g 1 I The present invention is directed to ironing boards such as are used in the household, and more particularly to a board having a collapsible stand as a part thereof and containing additional features.

The present invention is intended and adapted to overcome the disadvantages and difliculties inherent in prior structures and to provide an ironing board which embodies the usual wooden board, which is so modified by simple arrangement that steam may be introduced into the fabric being ironed without injuring the surface of the ironing board.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a means for introducing steam into the ironing board which is an integral part of the structure and which may be folded simultaneously with the folding of the stand on which the ironing board is supported.

It is further among the objects of the present invention to provide an ironing board of the type described wherein there is further embodied an ironing stand associated with the collapsible frame of the ironing board and which may be folded therewith as a unit. It is still further among the objects of the present invention to provide a device of the character described wherein the legs are provided with adjustable feet so that the height of the ironing board may be adjusted at will to accommodate persons of different heights.

In practicing the present invention, there is provided the usual ironing board made of wood or the like and mounted upon a tripod or other stand, usually made of metal and fixed to the board. The stand is made with suitable joints and is foldable or collapsible for storage purposes. There is provided in the upper surface of the board a relatively shallow groove which is preferably U-shaped. In the groove is a relatively small pipe of suitable material having a series of perforations along the top thereof. The fabric cover for the ironing board is placed over the same and fits tightly on the upper surface of the board. The pipe substantially completely fills the groove so that the upper surface of the pipe is in alignment with the upper surface of the ironing board. Means are provided on the frame or tripod for supplying the necessary steam to the pipe, said means being part of the tripod and being foldable therewith.

The invention is more fully described below in connection with the accompanying drawings constituting a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts, and in which 2 Claims. (Cl. 38-104) Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an ironing board made in accordance with the present invention, the fabric cover being removed therefrom to more clearly illustrate the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of an ironing board made in accordance with the present invention, said view being taken from the rear of the ironing board;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view thereof, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and i1- lustrating the locking of the ironing stand in operative position.

The ironing board I is made of wood or any other suitable material and is mounted on a stand consisting of a front leg 2 and a pair of rear legs 3 and 4. Feet 5 are provided at the ends of the legs, Said feet having rods 6 secured thereto. Said rods are adapted to slide within the tubular portions of legs 2, 3 and 4. Pairs of transverse openings 1 are formed in the legs and rods 6. Double pins 8 preferably made of spring metal are provided so as to enter into pairs of openings 1 and thus hold feet 5 in any one of a plurality of adjusted positions. Connecting legs 2, 3 and 4 are a series of braces 9 and I0 shown more or less diagrammatically. Such arrangements are common in the art and they provide means whereby the legs may be collapsed or folded against the under side of board 1.

Between legs 3 and 4 at an intermediate portion thereof there are provided a pair of cross braces H and I2 rigidly uniting said legs. An ironing stand 13 has pins l4 and I5 extending laterally therefrom and held in suitable openings in brackets l6 and I1. Thereby stand I3 is held so that it may be pivoted. Bracket l8 centrally located on the free side of stand l3 has a pin [9 passing through the same on which bar 20 is mounted for movement. The free end of said bar is provided with a hook 2| adapted to be placed over the meeting area of cross members H and I2, By this means the stand I3 is held in horizontal position below board I. When the frame or stand is folded, hook 2| is first removed from cross members II and I2, whereby stand l3 folds against said cross members and may be folded together with the frame.

A pair of parallel grooves 22 are formed in the top surface of board I extending from the rear of said board to a point near the front end thereof where they are joined by a closed groove 23, thus forming a U-shaped groove. A pipe 24 usually of copper is fitted snugly in grooves 22 and 23, said pipe having a series of perforations all along the upper surface thereof. Said upper surface is preferably flush with the upper surface of board I.

One end 25 of tube 24 is connected by hose 26 to nipple 21 entering the upper end of tank 28, which is usually partially filled with water. Said tank as shown in Fig. 2, is slightly inclined so that steam formed therein will enter hose 26 and pipe 24. A suitable immersion type electric heating element 29.? is: held Within tanlc'; 2 8 and wire connections 30 -are-provided for-connecting to a source of current. A valved pipe 3| is provided at the lower end of tank 28 for draining.

excess water therefrom. A nipple 32..closed byv plug 33 provides means for filling the tank withwater.

A pair of straps 34 and 35 hold tank28; .the.

tops of said straps being attached to cross members l l and [2 as shown in Fig. 2', to hold the tank in its proper relative position.

At the other end 36of pipe 24 is a nipple 31 andna valve-38.- Thisprovides-means forlremoving condensed water fromtheznipple 371 and pipe-24; J

By the above described; arrangement of: tank andassociated-elements, there is provided means for .introducingzsteamin fine jets throughout the cloth covering of the ironing-board and thus providing the desired amount of dampening and ironingleffect-for the fabrics being ironed. The structureis :quite simpleandis conveniently arranged. When: the legs are-folded, tank 26 folds with" legs 3v and" 4 since it i is, a unit: therewith. Hose 26 being flexible bends and. does-not offer any substantial resistance to, the folding operation. It'is not necessary tovremove any of-the parts'inz the'rfoldingrof "the structure. Therefore it lSlhlQhlY convenient-when it issdesired to set up the. ironing board for use because it is merely necessary to open the legs as is usual. The wires Mare-plugged in and; the board is ready for the ironing operation:

Although? the invention has been. described setting-forth but i a single embodiment thereof, the invention: is now limited thereto since many details -may be= changed wi'thin' the scope .nf the invention. For instance, the tankl28' and its associated parts may 'beplaced in a'somewhat different position thanvshown. in Fig: 2'and thephysical structure thereof may bequite difie'rent. The heating means may :be of 1aadifirent character than sh'owm Thezmaterials ofwconstruction may be varied and it is preferablezto make the various parts 1 constituting the-, foldable frame, ironing stand-tank and-associated elements'of as. light a metal as possible. Plastic materials maybe used in part'fo'r certain-of: the elements. described. These and other changes may be made inf the details of construction within the spirit of the invention which is to be broadlyconstrued and not to be--limited' except-=by the. claims appended hereto.

Iclaim:

1. An ironing board comprising a relatively thin horizontal slab of non-metallic material, the front end thereof being of reduced area, a U- shaped groove in the upper surface of said slab, the ends of the U being at the rear end of said slab, a perforated pipe in said U, the perforations being along the upper face of said pipe, a valved outlet on one end of said pipe adjacent to and below saidzslab, a flexible tube attached to the other endfofisaid. pipeimmediately below said slab and extending downwardly, a foldable tripod supporting said slab having a pair of rear legs transverse and pivoted to the slab and connected by cross-members, said attachment being adjacent to said pivot, a water tank mounted on said cross-members and between said rear legs, said tube communicating with said tank, and an elsetric heating element in said tank said rear legs when folded lying against the under-side of said slab and said tank and tube being adjacent to said. under-side.

2. An ironing, board comprising a relatively thin horizontal slab of non-metallic material, a groove in the upper surface of said slab, an end thereof being at the rear end of said slab, a perforatecl pipe in said groove, a foldable tripod supportingsaidslab. having a pair of rear legs pivoted to said slab. adjacent to an end of said pipe, said rear legs being connected by cross-members, a flexible tube attached to said. pipe end and extending downwardly, a water tankmounted on said cross members and between said rear legs, said tube communicating with said tank, an electric heating elementin saidtank, said rear legs when folded lying against the under-.sideof said slab and said tank andtube being adjacent to said under-side.

THOMAS AMA'I'O.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record'in'the file of 'this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name- Date 1,797,814 Beede Mar; 24, 1931 1,978,654 Strachan Oct. 30,-1934 1,649,337 Brewer' Nov. 15, 1927 2,035,959 Hamm Mar. 31, 1936 1,732,890 High Oct. 22, 1929 1,977,403 Pere Oct-16,1934 2,247,438 Gorton July 1, .1941 1,616,905 Kohn Feb; 8, 1927 1,656,789 Haskin Jan: 17, 1928 1,969,032 Porter Aug. 7, 1934 1,573,691 Eichberg Feb; 16, 1926 820,284 Cross May 8, 1906 1,272,638 Du Laney July 16, 1918 2,341,465 Monnot Feb. 8,'"1944 951,673 Ball- Mar. 8; 1910 107,469 Fischer Sept. 20, 1870 1,531,368 Aucello- Mar; 31, 1925 

